Usability Lab

The Usability Lab is a popular component of the annual User2User conference. This is your opportunity to sit down and engage with Mentor Graphics technical writers, engineers and support representatives. Your feedback is essential! Please plan to visit the Usability Lab during the conference.

This 2008 Usability Lab will showcase:

As a token of our appreciation for
your feedback, all participants
will receive a small gift.

Calibre LVS Debug
The challenge of getting your chips LVS clean grows with each new device node. For User2User 2008, the Calibre LVS Debug usability stations provide users opportunities to experience new methods introduced to improve debugging productivity and ease identification of LVS problems. Participants in these two usability lab stations will be encouraged to provide feedback on a new, innovative UI technology for layout debugging, with the actual labs focusing on short identification and suggestions to fix design errors. This lab is targeted for Calibre LVS users, though others familiar with physical layout and IC design are also welcome to participate.

Calibre nmDRC - Automating Recurring Waivers
This year, participants in this usability lab will be given an opportunity to provide critical feedback on an upcoming new feature for automating recurring waivers in a design. Currently, the Calibre Results Viewing Environment (RVE) can be used to mark a result as ""waived"", enabling importing of previously waived results from an IP block at a chip-level design. The new waiver feature ensures greater coverage of waiver classification by moving the process into the Calibre nmDRC flow itself. The results from IP blocks are captured into a library and merged into the design at full-chip DRC time, allowing Calibre to automatically remove final results that match the previously waived results, based on user-defined matching criteria. This new flow reduces DRC debug time by eliminating the need to analyze the same results over and over again. This usability lab is targeted primarily for Calibre DRC users, though others familiar with physical layout and IC design are also welcome to participate.

Calibre Incremental DRC
Come take a look at the improvements made to Calibre Incremental DRC based on your feedback from User2User 2007. Calibre Incremental DRC intelligently and automatically determines which reqions of your design to check and what rules need to be run. Checking just what needs to be checked with Incremental DRC has proven to drastically reduce DRC cycle times, increase the number of DRC iterations per day and increase a layout designers productivity. Take a return visit to the Calibre Incremental DRC lab and let us know what you think. This usability lab is targeted primarily for Calibre DRC users, though others familiar with physical layout and IC design are also welcome to participate.

Integrated Expedition Enterprise Workflow
In Expedition Enterprise 2007, DxDesigner, CES and Expedition PCB work together in a tightly integrated fashion. Because of this, the data in one tool can affect the use of another tool in the flow. Help us to understand how you can leverage the user information to optimize your workflow when the work you do in any of your EE tools can affect the entire flow.

Mentor Installation Program
Based upon your feedback at the 2007 Usability Lab, we have redesigned the way you can search for and find sources for an installation. Also, are you responsible for installing Mentor Graphics applications to multiple machines? You can provide critical feedback on the new Batch Tool we have created based on your input at the 2007 Usability Lab. We invite you to come test drive the new Batch Tool and try out the new Source Browser in the Mentor Graphics Installation tool. Our install program engineers are on hand to hear your feedback. Anyone who installs Mentor Graphics apps is encouraged to participate!

Mentor Graphics Documentation System – InfoHub
The InfoHub, the core component of the Mentor Graphics Documentation system, is shipping in most Mentor Graphics products. The InfoHub provides links to all product documentation, enabling you to easily access all of your Mentor Graphics user manuals, reference guides, and various other types of product documentation. In addition to the list of manuals, the InfoHub provides a flexible search interface. One of the key features of InfoHub is that you can submit an advanced product-specific search directly to SupportNet. The InfoHub interface is customizable, enabling you to include links to design documents or sites that are specific to your company or organization. Come and use the InfoHub to find answers and get on with your work.

PADS – New Installation Program
Ever experienced frustrations with the PADS installation? We are working hard to make improvements in this area; come and test drive our proposed installation and let us know if these changes make for a better PADS installation experience. Your input is critical to our success.

SupportNet
We've developed a new communities site to help you learn, share and network with each other! Check it out and tell us if we've hit the mark. And PADS customers, tell us how we can improve your SupportNet experience and make you more productive.

Reserve a Time Slot in the Lab

We are once again offering appointments to visit the Usability Lab. Appointments are not required; walk-ups are welcome on a first-come/first-serve basis. Check the box on the Conference Registration Form. A representative of Mentor Graphics will contact you to schedule an appointment.

Visit the "Before and After" Gallery

Make sure to check out our "Before and After" Gallery (outside of the Usability Lab) to see how your participation in the 2007 Usability Lab has improved our products!